Indra Gains Pleidaes Space Contract

In a contract with the Spanish Ministry of Defence worth €13.7 M, to be concluded in three years, Indra will develop, integrate and implement the ground segment of the Pleidaes Space Programme, a French constellation of high-resolution optical satellites for Earth observation.

The systems to be implemented by Indra will allow the Spanish Army to make wide use of the information supplied by civil and military satellites involved in this space programme promoted by France, of which Spain owns a three percent stake. The first satellite is expected to enter orbit by the end of 2009 and the next one in 2011.

The company will design, develop and start up the necessary systems for satellite imagery collection, the treatment for final products and the programme to request information from the satellites. The system will be located in the airspace systems centre for observation (CESAEROB) at the air force base in Torrejón, Spain.

The satellites will be able to catch images at submetrical level. Once both satellites of the constellation are into operational service, building 3D imagery with a higher performance and enhanced quality will be possible. This will be a qualitative leap for the Spanish Army. Observation of the Earth and cartography will be more efficient, using these images as a means for taking measurements for tactical and intelligence affairs.